{"id":4050,"date":"2016-08-17T13:06:59","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=4050"},"modified":"2016-08-17T13:06:59","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:06:59","slug":"what-black-moth-butterfly-wide-white-stripe-each-wing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/what-black-moth-butterfly-wide-white-stripe-each-wing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is This Black Moth or Butterfly With the Wide White Stripe on Each Wing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

June springs forth with dozens of types of butterflies and moths to claim the attention of the rambler. Some are easy to identify, like the Red-spotted Purples<\/strong><\/a> and the returning Red Admirals. Others are smaller but just as noticeable, like these fingernail-sized moths perching on a sunlit leaf in a shady part of Riverwood Conservancy, then rising up to chase away rivals or perhaps chase after partners. Their wings are basically dark but a broad white stripe on each side makes the moths very noticeable.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hooray for Names That Make Sense Like \u201cWhite Striped Black\u201d Moth<\/h2>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

My need to identify new creatures would be met more easily if they all had names like this little moth. It\u2019s called a White-striped Black which suits it perfectly. Although I didn\u2019t find it by looking that phrase up in my Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America, I could have. (Well, it would have been a little<\/em> tricky as it\u2019s indexed under Black, White-striped.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
\nYou can see from the goldenrod and creeper that these are small moths.<\/em><\/p>\n

The book confirms the id by mentioning this small moth is \u201coften seen during daytime along wooded trails.\u201d My experience exactly!<\/p>\n

Why Do Shade-Loving Moths Persist In Staying in the Dimly-Lit Glades?<\/h2>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

As a photographer, I wish to register a minor complaint with the White-striped Black moth guild: It\u2019s very hard for me to get a good photo of one when
\na)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0They like to fly away if I approach within 3 metres and
\nb)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0They like to stay in the shade where my camera balks at taking a clear photo<\/p>\n

Ah, well, I think these photos give you a reasonable idea of what moth I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

What Do White-striped Black Moth Caterpillars Eat?<\/h2>\n

I had expected to find that the moth lays eggs on Virginia Creeper. By far and away, this was the most common leaf on which I saw them perched. But according to Peterson\u2019s, the host plant is impatiens.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\"Photo<\/a>
\nThe two Jewelweeds of Ontario.<\/em><\/p>\n

That stumped me for a while, until I realized that Jewelweed, or Touch me not, is actually a type of impatiens. Jewelweed grows rampant in the parks in Mississauga and Oakville, so the caterpillars should have lots to munch.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
\nThis one landed on sand near the Credit River in the early morning. I think it was sunning because it stayed perched in the open for over a minute.<\/em><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t seen one of their caterpillars yet but I keep looking. And I\u2019ll enjoy looking at the moths again next June, too.<\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n